Miss out meaning
Miss out means to lose the chance to do or have something good. It can also mean to not include someone or something, often by mistake (UK).
miss out
miss out · missed · missing
Come to the concert! You don’t want to miss out.
Miss out meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Lose the chance to do or have something good
miss out
- Come to the concert! You don’t want to miss out.
- I missed out on the trip because I was ill.
- Did you miss out on the free tickets?
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2
Not include someone or something, often by mistake (UK)
miss somebody or something out
- You’ve missed out a letter in your name.
- Don’t miss me out when you send the invitations!
- I missed out the last page of the form.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use miss out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is miss out separable?
When miss out means lose a chance, it has no object. Add on for the thing: I missed out on the party. In UK English, miss out can also take an object: miss out a word, miss a word out, miss it out.
FOMO, short for fear of missing out, is the worry that others are having fun without you. It is very common on social media.
Verb tenses for miss out
| Present | I miss out · she misses out |
|---|---|
| Past | missed out |
| Present perfect | have missed out |
| -ing form | missing out |
Common mistakes with miss out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I missed out the party because I was working.
Right: I missed out on the party because I was working.
When you mean lose a chance, use miss out on.
Wrong: I don’t want to miss out of the sale.
Right: I don’t want to miss out on the sale.
The preposition is on, not of.
Wrong: You missed out me from the list!
Right: You missed me out of the list!
A pronoun goes between miss and out, and UK English uses of the list.
Synonyms and opposites of miss out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- missnot catch or see something; miss out stresses the lost chance
- leave outnot include something; common in UK and US English
- skipnot do something on purpose
Opposite
- take part injoin an activity with other people
- make the most ofuse a good chance as well as you can
Miss out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Book now so you don’t ___ on the cheap flights.
Miss out on means lose the chance to have something good.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use miss out on before the good thing you did not get.
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3A UK teacher says, “You’ve missed out a word here.” What did you do?
In UK English, miss out something means not include it.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get outA2leave a car, a room or a building
- take outA2remove something from a bag, a box, a pocket or a place
- put outB1stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- come outB1become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film
- look outB1be careful, because something bad may happen
- give outB1give something to each of a number of people
- turn outB2happen or end in a particular way
Miss out FAQ
Questions people ask about miss out.
What does miss out on mean?
It means not get something good that others get. If you leave early, you’ll miss out on the fireworks.
What does FOMO mean?
FOMO means fear of missing out. It is the feeling that other people are having fun or chances that you are not.
Is it miss out or miss out on?
Use miss out alone at the end: Don’t miss out! Use miss out on before the thing: Don’t miss out on the sale.
Use miss out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.